It's National Adoption Day which is a day that means more to me than me than words can say. Adoption is this miraculous beautiful thing, as God ADOPTED EACH one of us. That is so profound, and something that I quite frankly only slightly understand. To me then, it is only a "natural" decision to adopt. Adoption is not just a part of my family, but in essence defines my family. In actuality I am the minority in my family, as I am one of three who was not adopted by my earthly every day family, and the rest of the six people in my family were adopted by their earthly every day family. However, every single nine of us were adopted by our Heavenly Father. How amazing is that, that God loved us so much that He sent his biological son all the way to earth to save each one of us, and make us "belong." It is out of THIS LOVE that I have made the very personal decision to step out in enormous faith on five different occasions.
Adoption is also this miraculous beautiful thing, because in the midst of enormous tragedy, death, loss, sickness, brokenness, and poverty - God in His divine wisdom and faithfulness gives each one of us the sacred privilege (if we choose to trust) Him to adopt precious jewels that would not otherwise have a family to call their own. We, adoptive parents, get this amazing and sacred opportunity to be the forever every day parents to these little beings that He created. Little precious beings loaded with potential, hope, and so much joy. We get this enormous privilege of being parents to more precious jewels. We get the sacred privilege of being entrusted with these amazing little creations, His creations.
Adoption is also this miraculous beautiful thing, because in the midst of enormous tragedy, death, loss, sickness, brokenness, and poverty in the lives of orphans, GOD TAKES CARE of them by providing them with ordinary every day forever families. He gives them someone to call their very "own." He takes them out of orphanages and puts them in families, very ordinary every day families who try their absolute best to love them the way that their Heavenly Father calls them to.
I realize that there is many different opinions and thoughts out there on the topic of "adoption." I hear criticism from people who have never adopted, criticize motive, criticize that not more is being done in terms of orphan care versus adoption, criticize the seemingly romantic view that is sometimes portrayed in pictures of adoption (the argument being that the pictures neglect to tell the story of tragedy and loss which also in essence defines adoption), and so on, and so on. All of these criticisms bother my heart, and create a bit of an ache in it. They speak to me of Satan trying to divide the Christian Church, of Satan trying to discourage adoptions, and they speak to me of brokenness in the lives of those who criticize as they cannot step back and see the bigger picture of there being so many different layers to adoption. There are MANY DIFFERENT VOICES of adoption, and they should all have a voice. To the day that I die, I will be an advocate for adoption, of putting children who need families into families. To the day that I die, I will advocate for the hope, joy and healing that does come in the midst of enormous brokenness and loss of our adopted jewels their birth families, and sometimes their adoptive families. To the day that I die, I will also advocate for orphan care as I believe it is simply put, something else that God just simply asks us to do ... to care for the least of these. If you ask me, orphan care shouldn't even require a discussion, nor should adoption - but that is just my humble opinion. Although I do feel the need to clarify that I do not think that ANY decision should be made without much prayer, and without God's calling on our lives, and that ultimately we should live the life that God has uniquely planned for each one of us to live. For some of us that means adoption, for others it does not.
There are many different voices of adoption, and in this blog post I have shared my voice. I thought I would also share the voices of some of the other members of my family:
First the voice of my husband Sam, who was adopted about 40 years ago from South Korea. When I asked him what he thought about adoption he said, "I think it's amazing that I'm adopted because it's an amazing reminder that Christ wants to adopt us into His family. And I think it's amazing because of what my life would have been like if I wasn't adopted. I would be in Korea and I wouldn't have my life and family now. I'm so grateful that I was adopted by my parents."
My sweet beautiful 12 year old Bella, who was adopted about 12 years ago from the United States said, "I like being adopted because I like being part of a big loud and crazy family, and I have the best parents in the world."
My passionate beautiful 11 year old Faith, who was adopted about 8 years ago from China said, "I like being adopted because I like being part of the Quine team, because we play together, go on vacation together, and we love each other. I also like being adopted because then I can get a mom that is a counsellor who can help me."
My loving beautiful 10 year old Ella, who was adopted about 5 years ago from Ghana said, "I like adoption because I could get a family." Ella also shared how she likes the fact that she had her birth parents for a little bit before being adopted.
My thoughtful 9 year old Matteus, who was not adopted said, "I like it because kids who have parents can have parents." He went on to say, "I love all my sisters and brothers and I'm so glad that they are a part of my family."
My tender 6 year old Kody, who was adopted about six years ago from Ghana said, "I like being adopted, but I am sad about what happened to my birth family."
Adoption is God's "plan B" for so many precious jewels across the nation, and across the world. Although I deeply wish that adoption was never needed, as I wish that ALL precious jewels could be raised by their birth parents, I am so incredibly thankful that God choose me to be a part of His "plan B" for 5 amazing and precious jewels. I am thankful that I was adopted by my Heavenly Father, and I am thankful that He has allowed me the sacred privilege to adopt five out of my seven, very own children. I am thankful that God uses adoption to take care of His very own.
Comments